New Luxury Cruise Operator Charters Jet for Far-Flung Home Port

New expedition cruise operator Atlas Ocean Voyages wanted to make it easier for its first passengers to get to Ushuaia, Argentina, the stepping-off point for its inaugural cruises to Antarctica. 

Ushuaia - where the city motto roughly translates to "the end of the world" - isn't famous for being easy to get to. Located on the far end of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego in the Furious Fifties, it is closer to Antarctica than to Argentina's capital. To get there, one may take a $500, three-hour direct flight from Buenos Aires, or a $3,000, one-hour charter flight from Punta Arenas - but certainly not a direct flight from North America. 

Atlas Ocean wants to ease that part of the journey for its customers when it begins operations in late 2021. As part of its airfare-inclusive booking, it is chartering a wide-body jet to fly its guests all the way from Orlando, Florida directly to Ushuaia. Airfare connecting any of 16 major American cities to Orlando is included. On board the charter flight, suite-booked guests will have business-class seating, and everyone will get premiums meals and unlimited drinks. 

Upon the plane's arrival in Ushuaia, guests will be helped through immigration and transported over to Atlas' soon-to-be-delivered ship, the World Navigator. When they return from the voyage to Antarctica, they will reboard the charter jet and head for home.  

According to Atlas, this arrangement trims at least a day's travel time for guests arriving in Ushuaia from North America, in addition to removing the inconvenience of layovers. 

"Antarctica is the ultimate bucket-list destination and Atlas Ocean Voyages is innovating the industry again by greatly reducing the transit time for North American travelers," said Atlas' President Alberto Aliberti. "And our guests will enjoy Atlas' engaging and enjoyable ambience as soon as they board our private charter jet."